Hospital Clínic-IDIBAPS will lead one of the clinical research projects focused on the development of new minimally invasive surgical techniques for the treatment of cerebral hemorrhagic stroke. The project is coordinated by Ramon Torné, neurosurgeon and neurointerventionist at Hospital Clínic, and researcher in the IDIBAPS Cerebrovascular Diseases research group, and will have funding of 1.4 million euros. The initiative includes the conduct of a clinical trial in humans, the study of new surgical approaches to access deep areas of the brain, and the development of new experimental models of minimally invasive surgical techniques. In addition, Clínic-IDIBAPS participates as a partner in other clinical projects linked to the consortium, such as the study of new minimally invasive techniques for chronic subdural hematoma treatment.
Innovation through public-private partnership
The €23.5 million in public funding will be complemented by €14.9 million in contributions and additional resources from industry partners, supporting a five-year research and innovation program that also includes eight clinical studies:
- Industry partners: Philips, Oldelft Ultrasound, DEMCON Curix, Yaskawa, us4us, Caresyntax, Surgical Science, Boston Scientific, and Bracco.
- Patients organizations: Fundacio Ictus and Cancer Patients Europe.
- Academic partners: Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Rotterdam, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc), Hospital Clinic Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, and University of Ljubljana.
The burden of neurological conditions and urgent minimally invasive treatment needs
Neurological conditions, including severe conditions such as bleedings deep in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke), chronic bleedings between the skull and the brain (subdural hematoma) and brain tumors are a leading cause of ill health, disability, and overall disease burden globally.
While there have been significant advances in the field of neurosurgery, minimally invasive neurosurgical techniques continue to lag significantly behind other surgical disciplines. Current clinical procedures rely on large skull openings, optical and electromagnetic surgical navigation systems based on preoperative imaging, and fragmented intraoperative imaging, which disrupt surgical workflows and compromise precision. The SEISMIC project seeks to transform these potentially high-risk neurosurgical procedures into safer, faster, and more accessible interventions.
SEISMIC will develop an integrated suite of technologies, including real-time surgical navigation that combines ultrasound guidance with live X-ray imaging, highly realistic simulation platforms for clinician training, and minimally invasive biopsy and treatment techniques. SEISMIC will focus on three neurological conditions in which surgery is critical to patient survival and quality of life: intracerebral hemorrhage, subdural hematoma, and brain tumors.
By reducing procedure times, minimizing surgical trauma, and accelerating patient recovery, the SEISMIC project aims to improve clinical outcomes and expand access to specialized neurosurgical care for currently underserved populations.
The SEISMIC website will be live soon: www.seismic-project.eu. In the meantime, you can follow updates on our linkedin page.
The CORDIS project page for SEISMIC can be accessed here. The IHI factsheet for SEISMIC can be found here.
This project is supported by the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU) under grant agreement No 101253085. The JU receives support from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation program and life science industries represented by COCIR, EFPIA, Europa Bío, MedTech Europe and Vaccines Europe. SEISMIC is funded by the European Union, private members, and those contributing partners of the IHI JU. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the aforementioned parties. Neither of the aforementioned parties can be held responsible for them.
